At first glance, rapper Freddie Gibbs and producer Madlib seem like an unlikely combination.
Madlib is the professional name of Otis Jackson Jr. of Oxnard, California, and is widely considered one of the greatest hip-hop producers of all time, alongside such legends as J Dilla, Pete Rock, and others. An eclectic and quirky individual, his trademark productions take obscure soul, jazz, and funk recordings and alters and warps them to an almost psychedelic, drugged-out degree, all without the use of computers, utilizing only old school recording and sampling equipment. This style has made him a frequently sought-after and valued producer, and revered in the underground rap world. His works as Madlib and his numerous aliases and side-projects (Quasimoto, Yesterday's New Quintet, Young Jazz Rebels, and his debut group Lootpack to name a few.) are frequently critically acclaimed, and he has gone on to work with MF Doom, J Dilla, Ghostface Killah, Mos Def, and various others.
Freddie Gibbs is the professional name of Frederick Tipton of Gary, Indiana, and has been hailed by numerous music outlets as the underground rapper to watch in the 2010s, New Yorker writer Sasha Frere-Jones referring to him as "the one rapper I would put money on right now." His rhymes are frequently filled with street-savvy anecdotes and compelling stories inspired by his own hometown's slow demise due to crime, finding their way into numerous mixtapes that have been acclaimed by critics and fans alike. (Including the staggering 81-song mixtape The Label's Tryin' To Kill Me) Utilizing the internet and social media, Gibbs attained widespread success and praise without having to go through typical industry channels.
Since 2012, the two have been recording together, periodically releasing EPs of material, leading up to their studio debut Piñata, which features 17 tracks of Madlib's signature blend of eccentric hip-hop beats, and Gibbs' subtle and informed gangsta-rap flair. The album is filled with references to Blaxploitation films, and paints a picture of a disregarded, apocalyptic urban landscape, inspired by Gibbs' own experiences with Gary, Indiana, alongside beats crafted from dusty funk, discarded prog rock, old film soundtracks, and many more. Piñata is further punctuated by solid guest appearances from heavy-hitters of the genre such as Raekwon, Danny Brown, Scarface, Earl Sweatshirt, Mac Miller, Domo Genesis, and several others.
Now shipping on compact disc and vinyl from Traffic Entertainment Group!
Also coming soon as a deluxe cassette package!
Instrumental album also coming soon!
EARLY PRESS FOR PIÑATA
"…the MC and the producer click in surprisingly satisfying ways on their first full-length album together, as Madlib's beats add a druggy, unpredictable edge to Gibbs' hard-boiled grudges and regrets…"
"…It doesn't matter if Gibbs and Madlib were once considered artists playing to different audiences — united in their uncompromising, independent-as-fuck visions, they put together something hardcore hip-hop heads on both sides should feel."
"On this record, like Spade and Farley before them, they bring out the best in each other: Freddie becomes a psychedelic drug-thug cowboy, ready to save the day by completely trashing it, and Madlib sounds like he’s been sharpening his rare 45s so he could throw one and cut your head off."
"For those who were lucky enough to spend their teens immersed in hip-hop's golden age, Piñata is a generous slab of comfort food: the crackling movie sample of a philosophizing street hustler that serves as the album's intro; loops built from old funk and quiet-storm LPs, with drums that always sound live; lyrics that tell it like it is with just enough artistic remove to work as adrenaline-pumping entertainment."
"This is the type of idea that can’t go wrong…a damn near guarantee you’re going to get good raps over left-field beats. That’s what’s expected, and that’s what’s given, but that’s not all."
"Madlib has provided the OST to another parable of Gibbs' incessant druggin' and thuggin' – albeit pushing him out of his comfort zone- but never stretching past the boundaries of what either are already known to be capable of."
